In today’s article, you will read responses to interview questions asked of Lucy’s big sisters. Abby & Hannah are in 5th grade and Hope is in 3rd grade. We thank them for their time and openness to share all about remembering their sweet sister, Lucy.
DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT WHEN LUCY WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED?
Hannah: I was in 2nd grade, and we had to keep taking Lucy to the Doctor’s office. She had a brace around her neck. After one of the appointments, our friend’s dad came to pick us up because my parents had to take Lucy to the Emergency Room. We spent the night at our friend’s house, and they took us to a school choir performance to see our friend sing and to school the next day.
HOW OLD WAS LUCY WHEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED?
Abby: 4. And she died when she was 4 ½.
WHAT KIND OF CANCER DID LUCY HAVE?
Hannah: First she had a spinal tumor.
Abby: Then she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT VISITING LUCY IN THE HOSPITAL? Abby: Daddy was with us in the waiting room and Mommy rolled Lucy out into the waiting room in her wheelchair. We were able to go visit the therapy dogs with her. And we had a snack. One time our cousins came and decorated Lucy’s room for Christmas.
Hope: We went to the Kid’s Zone a lot. We did a lot of arts and crafts. One time near Christmas, we made big gingerbread houses with Lucy and our Aunt Carrie.
Hannah: On Christmas day we visited Lucy. We brought her stocking and a few presents because we saved a few presents to open with her. Our Grammy had stayed and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with her. We opened our Vtech smart watches together. We went outside to the play area and visited the Koi Pond. We also went down to the Kid’s Zone and did a few crafts in the craft area.
WHAT WAS HARD ABOUT LUCY BEING IN THE HOSPITAL?
Hannah: We couldn’t see our parents much. It was hard to go to school thinking about Lucy being sick and knowing she was in the hospital. We missed getting to see her as much and we were praying for her to get better.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT LUCY COMING HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL? (AFTER 6 WEEKS)
Hope: We got off the school bus and everyone was going crazy. The whole neighborhood was there and a big tunnel. Everyone signed a big canvas for Lucy and had matching “Lucy Light” shirts. There was a huge cookie cake and balloons.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE NIGHT LUCY DIED?
Abby: Lucy was laying in Mommy and Daddy’s bed, and she had fallen asleep. There were lots of family here. Our grandparents and Aunt Erin tucked us in that night. Before we went to bed, we all gave Lucy a kiss. The next day was really sad. We went on a family hike and then had a family sleepover in Mommy & Daddy’s room.
Hannah: I remember Papaw coming to wake us up and bringing us into Mommy & Daddy’s room. Lucy and Mommy and Daddy were in there. The next day, our house was full of flowers. I walked into mommy’s room and asked, “where’s Lucy”. I asked, “where is her bunny?” and Mommy said, “it’s with her”. That day was really hard. We went on a hike as a family, and we found painted rocks. I kept one that said, “be kind” and I still have it now.
WHAT WAS LUCY’S FAVORITE MOVIE?
Hannah: Paw Patrol or Frozen
Abby: Aladdin
Hope: Frozen
WHAT WAS LUCY’S FAVORITE FOOD?
Everyone: Chicken Tacos from Chipotle
WHAT WAS LUCY’S FAVORITE SONG?
Hannah: Baby Shark
Abby: Speechless from Aladdin
Hope: Speechless from Aladdin
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY WITH LUCY?
Abby: When she would come to my room in the middle of the night and say, “I can’t sleep.” She wouldn’t go to Mommy & Daddy’s room, but she would come to me even though I was far away.
Hannah: Our houseboat trip the summer before she got sick. Lucy would go flying down the slide off the roof of the houseboat laughing. In the middle of the night, she fell out of her bed onto the floor and when she hit the floor, she started swimming in her sleep. Mommy was awake to see it and said it was hilarious.
Hope: Because Daddy promised Lucy a puppy when she started walking again, we drove to the mountains to get our puppy. We didn’t know we were going to get our puppy but pulled up into someone else’s house and there was a white, fluffy puppy waiting for us. We named him Bear and he looked just like the white puppy we saw that first night visiting Lucy at the hospital.
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE WAYS THAT WE HAVE HONORED LUCY?
Abby: I loved releasing butterflies in the mountains for Lucy’s 5th Birthday (1st birthday in Heaven). They came in little pink envelopes that said, “Happy Birthday Lucy” and we opened the envelope and released them.
Hannah: One of my favorites was releasing Painted Lady Butterflies for Lucy’s birthday. I also loved it when we dropped flowers at Dale Hallow Lake where we parked our Houseboat 3 years ago.
Hope: I loved writing prayers and messages to Lucy on pink balloons and sending them into the sky for Lucy’s 6th Birthday (2nd birthday in Heaven). I also love how we have eat Chipotle tacos on Lucy’s quilt to remember her.
LUCY’S 5TH BIRTHDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020
LUCY’S 6TH BIRTHDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2021
Article by: Abby, Hannah & Hope Settle, big sisters of Lucy Settle
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